I’m Matt Layman.

I want to help you learn more about Django and Python.

Want to learn Django from top to bottom?

My book, Understand Django, will walk you through the Django web framework.

We start from the top at an exploration of the browser and the layers that make the internet work, then dig deep down through the framework to reveal how you can make web applications using Django.

By the time you finish reading Understand Django, you'll have a much deeper knowledge of how web applications work and, specifically, how Python-based web applications are built.

You can read the book online for free, right now, and soon will be able to able to buy an e-book, physical book, or audio book from your favorite online stores.

Get started right now by clicking this link!

  • #Python
  • #htmx
  • #Ruby
  • #PHP
  • #JavaScript
  • #Django
  • #Flask
  • #RubyOnRails
  • #Laravel
  • #AJAX

You Don't Need JavaScript

What If I Told You… You Don’t Need JavaScript. This talk explores why #JavaScript is not good fit for most web apps. I then show how most web apps can do dynamic things using …

  • #Python
  • #Django
  • #debugging

Debugging Tips And Techniques

Your Django app is up. You’ve got users. Your users are hitting bugs. How do you debug to fix the problems? That’s the focus of this Understand Django article.

  • #Django
  • #SaaS
  • #Python

Brew Install The World - Building SaaS with Python and Django #135

In this episode, I tried to get started after a long break, but my virtual environment was broken. This entire episode is a journey deep into Python installing world. Did I come out on the …

  • #Django
  • #SaaS
  • #Python

User Requests - Building SaaS with Python and Django #134

In this episode, we took a break between big projects and worked on some smaller usability features requested by users of the app.

  • #Django
  • #SaaS
  • #Python

S3 FileField - Building SaaS with Python and Django #133

In this episode, we built the UI to allow users to request an end-of-year PDF bundle. Then we hooked the model up to S3 via django-storages and tested everything out.

  • #Python
  • #Data
  • #Great Expectations
  • #Quality

Great Expectations Data Quality Testing

Great Expectations is a shared, open standard for data quality. It helps data teams eliminate pipeline debt, through data testing, documentation, and profiling

  • #Python
  • #Django
  • #SaaS

PDF Courses Report - Building SaaS with Python and Django #132

In this episode, we added a final PDF report to the PDF bundle. This report was different than the other because there wasn’t a pre-existing HTML report to mimic. I built a report that …

  • #SaaS
  • #Python
  • #Django

PDF Attendance Report - Building SaaS with Python and Django #131

In this episode, we added a third PDF report to the PDF bundle. The patterns from previous reports made this one go faster, but I hit some small snags with the output of the PDF being …

  • #Lua
  • #HTTP
  • #Parser

Lua Log #9: HTTP Parser

In the last entry, I concluded that I wanted to build my own HTTP parser. This post looks at how I did the parser building and what’s next for my Lua web framework.

  • #SaaS
  • #Python

PDF Progress Report - Building SaaS with Python and Django #130

In this episode, we added the next report to the PDF bundle. In the process of adding this report, I cleaned up some of the PDF generation code and refactored to some common patterns.

  • #Lua
  • #HTTP
  • #Parser

Lua Log #8: HTTP Parsing

My next challenge in my Lua project is to parse incoming network data into HTTP requests that an application can process. In this entry, I explore the options available to me and why I am …

  • #Python
  • #Django
  • #security

Security And Django

You want to protect your users' privacy, right? The goal is noble and users demand it, but how do you do it? In this Understand Django article, we’ll look at some areas that improve …

  • #Lua
  • #Routing

Lua Log #7: Routing Requests

Do you know the feeling when a project starts coming together and things seem exciting and electric? I had some of that feeling this week as I figured out how to route requests in my web …

  • #Django
  • #SaaS
  • #Python

PDF Debugging - Building SaaS with Python and Django #129

In this episode, I debugged the static file handling that my homeschool application is using when it generates PDF reports.

  • #Lua
  • #ASGI
  • #Atlas

Lua Log #6: LASGI - ASGI in Lua

In my limited time this week, I built out the interface between the web server and my application. I’m leaning heavily on work done in Python by implementing ASGI in Lua.

  • #Python
  • #Django
  • #SaaS

Form Features and CSS - Building SaaS with Python and Django #128

In this episode, we worked on a user requested feature that improves a workflow for task management in the homeschool app. After completing the feature, I returned to the PDF bundle project …

  • #twitch
  • #Python
  • #Django
  • #SaaS

Upgrade to Tailwind CSS v3 - Building SaaS with Python and Django #127

In this episode, I upgraded my app to switch from Tailwind CSS v2 to v3. We worked through the migration guide to make all the needed changes to work with v3. Then I upgraded my development …

  • #Callbacks
  • #Coroutines
  • #Atlas

Lua Log #5: Callbacks to Coroutines

I’ve been working on how to avoid callbacks in my web framework. My goal with Atlas is to produce interfaces that look like synchronous calls, but utilize cooperative scheduling …